This invention relates to the fields of computer systems and data communications. A system and method are provided for facilitating instant availability of funds from an ACH (Automated Clearing House) transaction before the transaction clears. More particularly, a method is provided for determining a risk associated with making the funds instantly available.
Among existing methods of making purchases (e.g., consumer purchases of goods or services) and transferring funds from one person or entity to another, ACH transactions have been used relatively sparingly. One reason for their lack of popularity is their relatively languid pace of settlement or completion. This can be frustrating or unacceptable when a party to the purchase or transfer (e.g., a business) requires rapid receipt of the funds. For example, a merchant is understandably reluctant to deliver goods or services until payment is in hand or assured. ACH transactions are not typically settled, however, until at least one business day after they are initiated, and may be rejected or returned for a relatively lengthy period of time, even after settlement.
Thus, the period of time that elapses between the initiation of an ACH transaction and clear availability of the transaction funds tends to make such transactions unattractive when timely consummation is desired. Credit cards, debit cards, ATM (Automated Teller Machine) cards and other means of obtaining instantly available funds are much more compatible with the need for instant gratification and thus tend to be more popular in typical consumer purchases or fund transfers.
The delay encountered with ACH transactions is inherent in the way they are handled. An ACH transaction, or ACH entry, is initiated by an originator (e.g., a company or organization) on behalf of and with the authorization of, a receiver (e.g., a customer). Thus, “originator” and “receiver” refer to the entities that initiate and receive an ACH entry, respectively. The ACH entry may be either a credit or a debit to the receiver's account.
An originator submits an ACH entry to an originating depository financial institution (ODFI). The ODFI forwards the ACH entry to an ACH operator (e.g., a Federal Reserve Bank) for settlement. The ACH entry is then sent to the respective receiving depository financial institution (RDFI) where it is posted to the appropriate depositor's (receiver's) account. Although ACH transactions are generally conducted electronically, they are typically batch-processed instead of being handled one at a time.
In an ACH credit entry, an originator initiates a transfer to move funds into a receiver's account. For example, the receiver may be the recipient of ACH credit funds in the form of direct deposit (e.g., his or her salary). In this case, the originator is an employer and the receiver is the employee. Or, a consumer may act as an originator and authorize monthly payments (e.g., for a utility, Internet access, loan payment) to a creditor receiver.
For an ACH debit entry, funds flow in the opposite direction as they do for an ACH credit entry. In particular, funds are collected from a receiver's account and transferred to an originator. Thus, when a consumer preauthorizes a debit, the originator is the company or other entity authorized to collect the debt and the consumer is considered the receiver even though the funds are being taken from his/her account.
During the settlement or clearing process, a depository financial institution or ACH operator may “reject” an ACH entry because it is formatted incorrectly or is otherwise unacceptable. Accepted ACH entries are settled on the assumption that the funds are available and will be transferred as specified. Settlement of an ACH entry generally occurs on the business day following its initiation.
However, even after settlement, an RDFI may “return” an ACH debit entry due to insufficient funds in the receiver's account or for some other reason (e.g., a stop payment request, the account was closed). Also, a receiver may reject an ACH entry (e.g., because the entry was not authorized). Thus, settlement of an ACH debit does not guarantee that the receiver has sufficient funds to cover the entry or that the receiver will not repudiate the transaction. If the originator, or the ODFI processing an ACH entry for the originator, releases the funds of the entry too soon, and the later “returns” the entry because the receiver has insufficient funds or for some other reason, the originator or ODFI may be at risk of losing those funds. There is thus a risk that a receiver may take advantage of the return process to defraud the originator or ODFI.
If the risk of return or rejection of an ACH entry could be predicted with some accuracy, an originator would be better able to determine whether to offer an ACH transaction as a method of payment or a source of funds. However, determining what factors are or may be significant to determining such risk can be problematic. More particularly, risk factors that are relevant may differ depending upon the circumstances, and can be combined in many ways. Some combinations may be more accurate than others.
Although ACH transactions may be riskier or slower for a merchant than credit cards and instruments such as debit cards and ATM cards, they are generally less expensive than these alternative methods of payment. For each credit card transaction accepted by a merchant, the merchant may have to pay a fixed fee plus a percentage of the value of the transaction. For an ATM card, a merchant may have to pay a fixed fee similar in magnitude to that assessed in a credit card transaction. However, the cost to a merchant of an ACH transaction may be on the order of just a few cents. If ACH transactions could be employed for more consumer transactions, merchants' costs would be decreased, and these savings could be passed on to consumers.
Therefore, what is needed is a method of making the proceeds of an ACH transaction available without the delay that is normally incurred while waiting for the transaction to close. There is also a need for a system and method for determining a level of risk associated with making the proceeds available before the transaction closes.